1A story passed around among people whose truth is uncertain — a rumor, hearsay, or gossip. Common in everyday speech in forms like 噂する ('to gossip') and 噂が立つ ('a rumor spreads'). Since 噂 is a non-jōyō kanji, it is often written in kana as うわさ.
最近、会社で大きなリストラがあるという噂が立っている。
There's a rumor going around the company that there will be major layoffs.
人の噂ばかりしていると、いつか自分も言われるよ。
If you keep gossiping about others, someday they'll talk about you too.
あれが噂のラーメン店か。ずっと来てみたかったんだ。
So that's the ramen shop everyone's talking about. I've been wanting to come here.
うわさ通り、彼の料理は本当においしかった。
Just as the rumors said, his cooking really was delicious.
噂をすれば影、ちょうど本人が来たよ。
Speak of the devil — here comes the very person we were talking about.